The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1887-11-17

/ Ndo iSuuy w Si'O VIZ SiS""
There was a moment of death
like stiffness. Then clear and
distinct came the voice OF Spies
His form Strengthened up. The
muslin seeried to move in har-
mony with his lips. "Our silence
is more powerful than speech. :"
That was all, but there was a
ring to it that echoed far away
down the corridor. Silence again
reigned for a second. Then in a
round, full voice, a shout. "Hur-
rah for Anarchy" came from En-
gel. Another pause was broken
by the voice of Fischer, "This is
the happiest moment of my life.
Then the clear. we'll modulated
voice of Parsons broke the OPP
pressive stiffness. There was not
that enthusiastic ring in it which
marked The .utterances of The
others. 1t was not the voice of a
judge delivering a decision, a
scarcely defnable pause between
each word: "Shall l be allowed
TO speaki Oh men and women
of dear America p The sheriff
shifted his position little; he
was several feet away from the
speaker, bnt the speaker must
have seen the movement through
the folds of the cap. There was
rising infection in his voice,
not so much of pleading as of de-
maHd, LET me speak Sheriff
Matson," is what he said. LET
the voice of the people be
heard -" Down went the
drop. The last words of Parsons
had died upon his lips. Four
bodies swung iniempty air, and
the Haymarket massacre was
avenged.
The drop fell at 1904. From
the first step OF Spies upon the
scaffold, until the cutting Of the
rope, precisely six minutes and
three seconds had elapsed. For
a moment after the drop had
fallen not a soul stirred. a low
murmur, like a pent-up sigh Of
relief went through the corridor.
Then sif moved by one impulse.
every man rose to his feet. and
every eye was rivlted upon the
body of Spies. The arch Anar-
chist was dying hard. His legs
and arms moved convnlsively,
with extraordinary rapidity, as
though he were alive and con-
scious and struggling to free him
self from the cord that bound
HIM. His whole frame was agi-
tated by quivering tremor. Low
groans of horror came from many
lips, and the expression, she's
dying hard" was heard on all
sides. This continued for over
a minute, an hour it seemed TO
be, and then the struggles grew
fainter and fainter until they f.
nally ceased.
The bodies Of Engel and Fisch
sr were motionless for a mo-
ment after the drop, save for the
swinging two and fro. Then
Fischers legs drew up and down
and there was convulsive move
nent in his arms. Engel's strug
yles were brief Parsons alone
lied as though his heart had
been pierced by a bullet. He
,ame down hike a log. There
was not 8 twitch. Not a single
of the muscles. His
neck had been broken instantly. |
All three Of the others evidently |
slowly strangled TO death.
The bodies were lowered al |
1925, after having been hanging
or thirty minutes. The cofins-I
PLAIN ones, painted dark brown
with silver-plated screws-were
placed under the bodies across
horses. Spies body |
vas the first TO be taken down
and lowered in the coffin. The
white cap covering his head was
!rawn up some little distance ex
posing the neck with the rope
ishtened around the skin. 1t
vas with great difficulty that the |
ioose was loosened by a deputy.
After much Juggling the knot
vas slipped aud the white cap
vas taken off. Spies face was
covered with a greasy perspira-
IliOn and his mouth was open,
howing teeth somewhat discolor-
d. There was no discoloratiOn
f the face and the moose left no
mark or sign on the neck. DR.
.swis pla"ed his finger under the
ight side of the neck and press.
d in. Spies died by strangula-
on," he said shortly. "The
eek is not broken" Instantly
lie cap was replaced and the
over of the coffin was screwed
own.